


The Villanelle of Carrie Wilson

by MadameCristal



Series: A Star is Born [2]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Bi Kayla, Carrie Wilson Redemption, Carrie Wilson-centric, Carrie is a Daddy's Girl, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gay Trevor Wilson, Happy Ending, Lesbian Flynn (Julie and The Phantoms), M/M, Rose is Julie's mom, Trevor Wilson is a Good Dad, Writer is a Reggie Fangirl, rare pairs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27287935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadameCristal/pseuds/MadameCristal
Summary: A peek into the life of Carrie Wilson post sophomore year (yeah, that year).Or alternatively, 5 Times Trevor Wilson was Carrie Wilson’s best friend. +1 time he wasn’t.
Relationships: Alex & Carrie Wilson, Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Bobby | Trevor Wilson & Carrie Wilson, Carrie Wilson/Reggie, Flynn/Kayla, Julie Molina & Carrie Wilson, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Kayla & Carrie Wilson, Trevor Wilson/Original Male Character
Series: A Star is Born [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1992430
Comments: 64
Kudos: 122





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all it's time for my Carrie Queen's story! In another 5+1 format. This one is pretty fluffy - especially if you came here from my Trevor Wilson angst. But this is a continuation of that world.
> 
> P.S. In case anyone was wondering about the title, I was just browsing in the synonyms for "ballad" and there was villanelle, like fate.
> 
> Definition of villanelle: a short poem of fixed form, usually five in number, followed by a final quatrain.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I'm just playing in the sandbox made by Netflix and Kenny. Also, this is un-beta'd so all mistakes are mine!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wilsons make a TikTok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tooth-rotting fluff for my favorite readers! ♥

Carrie had only been home from Dirty Candy practice for about 5 minutes before she heard her dad yelling down the stairs. He was so far away that she didn’t actually know _what_ he was saying, but he sounded excited. Carrie continued on in her quest to make the perfect peanut butter and banana sandwich and waited for him to come downstairs. 

Finally, 15 minutes later, he made his appearance. Carrie coughed on the last piece of banana.

“Dad, what are you wearing? NO scratch that. Why are you wearing that?” she asked, eyebrows raised in confusion. He gave a little twirl and waved his arms like he was in a fashion show. He was wearing his pink shiny kimono with black ripped skinny jeans and his pink “Dirty Candy Stan” shirt – the words also shimmered with glitter.

“You like? I mean, I was thinking we should match and could both wear pink. I’ll change if you want though,” he replied, sounding a little hurt. Carrie shook her head.

“No don’t! We can both wear pink! That’ll be super awesome!” she exclaimed at him. Not that she actually knew what they were doing, but if her dad wanted to wear matching pink outfits, she was game. He beamed back at her. 

“Okay. I’ve been practicing the dance. So I’ll be up to Dirty Candy standards. And I can use more time to get the background setup while you change,” he said as he moved around the kitchen, cleaning up her mess. Carrie was still very confused.

“I mean cool. But uh, dad? What dance exactly?” she questioned, throwing away her plate. He looked back at her.

“ _Savage Love_? Our TikTok Dance? I’m going to post it on the official Trevor Wilson account and tag Dirty Candy! Would you prefer a different dance? That one looked like something I could do, and I’ve got some stuff to setup in the studio that’ll really make it pop,” he explained, probably for the second time since Carried hadn’t heard him before. She grinned.

“That song is perfect! Yeah, I’ll go change. I already know the dance, so we’ll just need to practice together and then we can record it!” Carrie said excitedly. Sometimes her dad had really awesome ideas. _Yeah, #1 Best Dad Ever_. She ran up to her room, leaving him to do the setup.

Carrie dug through her closet of Dirty Candy clothes for something that would match her dad, but still stand out. She pulled out her pink glitter top from her _Wow_ performance at school and paired it with a pair of black ripped jeans, which matched her dad. She moved to her shoe closet, looking for the final piece of the look.

“Aha!” she yelled, pulling the boots out. “Success!” Quickly she dressed and then pulled on the knee high glitter pink boots. And, of course, it wasn’t a real performance without her signature pink wig – which she deftly put on and straightened. Carrie hummed the Jason Derulo song as she bounced to the studio. Once she walked in, she stopped short. Her dad had really gone all out. The wall was covered, top to bottom, in a silver fringe shiny curtain. The floor was covered in pink glitter and sliver balloons. Shiny pink star streamers hung down from the ceiling, just low enough that they’d be in frame but not in front of them.

“Whoa dad. This is really cool,” she told him, still taking things in. He smiled, bright and wide, something that Carrie hadn’t seen a lot since Julie’s mom died. It made her feel warm inside – that hanging out with her made her dad happy.

“Well, Robin said I needed to do a TikTok – get more engaged on social media to build up for maybe a new single. Also, to make it fun, unless I really was moving towards the slow country genre. Which obviously meant, make a really fun TikTok with Carrie, don’t you think?” he asked with a grin. Carrie nodded back. Robin had been her dad’s PR manager since his third album – Carrie wasn’t sure what happened to the one he had before that actually. Robin probably knew the direction her dad would go though. He was always very adamant that he was Carrie Wilson’s dad first and a Rockstar second.

“Checks out to me. You sure you don’t want to add a little champagne? I’ve seen that in a lot of videos,” Carried laughed and kicked a balloon. Her dad rolled his eyes.

“Oh yeah. That’ll trend for sure. What did Trevor Wilson get his daughter before she started her junior year? Champagne. Worst dad ever,” he grumbled as he moved to put his phone in the recording stand. Carrie laughed again. _Hey, a girl’s gotta try!_

“Hey dad, you think Dirty Candy can use this buzz to book a few extra shows? It is summer. The girls and I have way more free time. And we’ve got 5 new songs and dances nobody has even seen yet. The choreo was really tight at today’s practice too, so we’re really ready for a full show,” she told him. 

“Well yeah! Is there something specific you had in mind? I’m sure Robin could get it on the books. Maybe we could also throw a Labor Day Extravaganza Show? Get a few bands or artists and raise money for a charity. Finish off the summer with a bang and start Junior Year right,” he replied. She could already see him planning the event in his mind. She smiled softly and bit her lip before she replied.

“That would be perfect! Robin can line up some performances all summer to lead up to the big show. Maybe invite some of your celebrity friends and make it an exclusive event. We could raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation,” Carrie said quietly. Her dad nodded though, and she knew she could press on. “Julie and her band could perform too. Two up-and-coming groups with a Rockstar would be cool.” Carrie swallowed and looked at her feet. Her dad grabbed her and pulled her into a big hug. 

“Yeah kiddo. We’ll do that. I’ll work with Robin and Ray to get everything organized. Anything for my Carrie Queen,” he said. He kissed the top of her wig, and Carrie smiled into his chest before pulling back.

“Okay. On to the dancing. Let’s get some TikTok fans!” she clapped her hands together and moved into position. He laughed and followed her, doing as he was instructed. 

It took an hour before they’d made a video that Carrie had deemed good enough for posting. 

Trevor Wilson’s _Savage Love_ TikTok was liked by more than 3 million people. Jason Derulo shared it on his Instagram. Dirty Candy trended on Twitter.

Carrie Wilson didn’t have a mom. She never had – even though sometimes she used to pretend that Rose was her substitute mom. But Carrie Wilson did have a dad – #1 Dad and #1 Dirty Candy fan. If you asked her who her best friend was (especially late at night when she was working on new music or watching _Grease_ ), she’d tell you "Trevor Wilson". And she’d be damn proud of that fact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you by a [singular YouTube video played on repeat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiEhvJbcgxU). Also by 2020 quarantine for convincing me to download TikTok. #MillennialLife


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carrie makes a new friend. And maybe a couple old ones too.
> 
> But Trevor Wilson is still her #1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is much longer than originally planned... Carrie just had a lot to say!
> 
> Also, as a weird note, I was really trying to calculate the girls birthdays for my universe, and have now created a timeline for such things - if anyone cares. 
> 
> *Carrie: Born January 2004  
> *Julie: Born March 2004  
> *Flynn: Born February 2004 - mostly because I like the symmetry of the girls having back to back birthdays
> 
> Julie's mom dies: March 2019 (poor Julie)  
> The JaTP TV Show: March - April 2020
> 
> Chapter 1: June 2020  
> Chapter 2: August 2020
> 
> This means everyone is 16 now post sophomore year (and was 16 in the show). It also allows me to line up the Carrie/Julie falling out as the summer before high school. And we know the guys died at 17 so we can assume they were seniors. As an FYI for the ages.

Julie Molina was coming over to her house – specifically to hang out with her. And Carrie Wilson was freaking out. 

After Julie’s performance at the Orpheum last semester, Carrie had been nice. She’d clapped for the other girl in music class. She’d smiled at Julie in the hall. She’d had her dad include Julie’s band in the Labor Day Charity Event. But she hadn’t actually spoken to Julie. She hadn’t really apologized. If there was one thing that Carrie knew, it was that you _always_ apologized to your best friend. She learned that from her dad.

Now Julie was coming over, and Carrie did **not** have the perfect apology written yet. Thus, Carrie sat on the rug in her living room with her notebook and multiple colored pens lined up in front of her, a full 3 hours before Julie was set to arrive. She needed to write down said apology and then present it to Julie. 

She set down the blue pen and balled up the piece of paper she was working on. _No, that one wouldn’t work._ She picked up the purple pen – maybe it would have better luck. She wrinkled her brow and chewed on the pen, deep in thought. She may have even stayed that way for an exponential amount of time, if a noise by her side had not startled her. She looked up to see the drummer from Julie’s band. He plopped down next to her. She raised an eyebrow and dropped the purple pen.

“Oh sure, go ahead and make yourself at home, Julie’s drummer whose name I do not know,” she paused here, as if to allow the boy to say something. He looked startled and did not speak. “Which is weird right? I mean we’re performing at the same show in a month. You’re in Julie’s band. I should definitely know your name. I’m Carrie Wilson,” she said and stuck out her hand. Maybe it was weird that Julie’s bandmate from Sweden was in her house right now. _But Julie was coming over later – maybe she wanted support and Swedish dude was visiting or something? Maybe Swedish guys were bad with time and doorbells?_

The drummer opened his mouth and shut it – twice. Carrie sighed and moved her hand closer.

“Dude? Oh! Do they not do handshakes in Sweden?” she asked. That seemed reasonable - _except that it really didn’t._

“Alex,” he finally squeaked out. He cleared his throat. “My name is Alex Martin. And uh, yeah, we don’t do handshakes.” He nodded to himself. He sounded pretty anxious. 

“I mean, that’s kinda weird. You don’t sound Swedish to me either. So Alex, why exactly are you in my house?” she questioned him. Most people would have probably asked this sooner, but Carrie had her own priorities. And if she was going to make a new friend, he needed a name.

“Oh,” he replied, sounding surprised, “I was just visiting. Because Julie and Luke are writing music. And Reggie is talking to Julie’s dad. And I couldn’t find my boyfriend, so I came here. I thought maybe you’d be dancing or something fun.” He rambled on and rubbed his neck. Carrie smiled brightly.

“You wanted to dance? I mean, I could be convinced to take little break and do that. I do have a few hours before Julie gets here anyway.” Carrie excitedly pushed the traitorous colored pens away for later and jumped up. Alex remained on the rug and looked up at her nervously again. Carried giggled and grabbed his hands to pull him up. Alex yelped.

“Oh my god! You can touch me!” he screamed. Carrie looked at him carefully. _Her new friend was weird, but he liked dancing so that could be overlooked._

“I don’t know how you thought we’d have a dance party without ever touching,” she laughed and spun him around. Alex stared at their interlocked hands in wonder. “Hey, Alex, what’s really going on?” she asked quietly. He looked into her eyes.

“I’m a ghost,” he whispered. “Are you going to run screaming now?” Carrie snorted.

“No offense, but if you can be seen and touched, you’re like a really bad ghost. I mean, Casper could fly. Can you fly?” She raised her eyebrows at him. Alex giggled.

“Real ghosts can’t fly. Or maybe there are really dope ones that can. But I definitely can’t. Luke and Reggie can’t either though, so I’m a totally normal ghost,” Alex explained and let go of her hands. Carrie listened and put the pieces together.

“Because Luke and Reggie are your bandmates – the other Phantoms. And Julie’s bandmates are literal ghosts. That’s actually really clever marketing. Still not convinced you’re a real ghost, but that band name has to be admired,” she said. Alex smiled at her. 

“Flynn actually came up with it. She’s the band manager. I can prove my ghostly powers though. I’ll just poof out and back in. I mean, I hope you’ll still be able to see me? You haven’t ever before. People usually can only do that when we perform with Julie. Or when we’re touching her. That’s still in the testing phase though. And definitely nobody but Julie can touch ghosts. Well before now.” Alex paced back and forth in front her. Carrie chewed her lip.

“That checks out. Flynn is really clever. She’ll be excellent PR. But okay. Poof out, poof back. Let’s see this,” Carrie waved her arms. She wasn’t sure what was included in said “poofing”. Alex nodded, and then he was gone. Carrie screamed, but nobody was there to hear. A moment later, Alex was back, though not in the same spot as before. Carrie worked to keep her face neutral.

“That was something alright. Where did you go?” she asked carefully. Alex shrugged.

“Back to the garage. Or outside the garage more specifically. I didn’t want to go in and ruin Luke and Julie’s moment.” He shrugged again. Carrie grinned. Ghosts were hard to wrap her head around, but a crush was definitely in her wheelhouse. Kayla had them all the time.

“Ooh so Julie and Luke, huh? Guess that means that Luke is the one with a weird aversion to sleeves. You can see it when they perform too. I knew I was right!” Carrie pumped her fist in the air. Alex laughed.

“Are we past the ghost thing then? Like you believe me and we’re moving on?” he asked, just to make sure. Carrie shrugged at him. 

“I mean, yeah. It makes more sense than a hologram band from Sweden honestly. I’m not saying that cute ghosts would have been my first guess, but I believe you. Now on the gossip, my new friend! You have a boyfriend who I absolutely need to hear all about, by the way. Julie has a cute ghost boyfriend named Luke that doesn’t wear sleeves. I definitely have to hear about that. And then there’s your bassist, Reggie, right? Does he have a girlfriend or boyfriend?” Carrie questioned Alex. While she talked, she grabbed his hand again and pulled him down onto the couch with her. When he didn’t respond instantly, she shook his arm. “Alex!” He laughed.

“Wait a minute. I will totally tell you everything about Willie, who has the best hair like ever. And I might tell you something about Luke and Julie – but like not all their secrets or anything. Band loyalty and all. But first, Reggie? Were you trying to just slide that bit through there?” Alex squinted at her. Carrie’s cheeks flamed red.

“No. Absolutely not. I do not have a crush on a ghost! That would be weird. I definitely do not have a crush on a bass player because that’s my dad’s thing. And we are not making it a Wilson thing,” Carrie rushed on, shaking her head. _Ghost boys, nope not going there._ Alex laughed softly.

“I think it’s definitely a Wilson thing. I’m going to let you pretend you don’t though, for now, since we’re early in our newly minted friendship. But yeah, he is single.” Alex winked at her, and Carrie blushed harder. She turned her head into Alex’s shoulder. “Okay, okay. No more teasing. I’ll just tell you about Willie instead. He’s a ghost too. Not from the 90s like us, but still a ghost. He’s a skateboarder – likes to ghost skate all over. And he’s really pretty. Did I mention that? His hair is all long and luscious and he has really pretty eyelashes. Oh and he’s really funny!” Alex continued on for a while, waxing poetic about Willie. Carrie didn’t mind though. She snuggled closer to Alex, put her feet under his thigh, and pulled her knees up. She rested her head on her knees and smiled while Alex talked. _This is nice. My new friend is a ghost, but he’s nice._

* * *

Later (maybe hours since Carrie wasn’t paying attention to the clock while Alex talked), Trevor Wilson arrived home. Carrie didn’t immediately notice, caught up as she was. He walked into his living room, ready to greet his daughter – maybe even ask about Julie.

“Hey kiddo,” he started as he entered the room. And then he stopped short, because there was a ghost on his couch. He widened his eyes and patted his chest.

“Hey dad,” Carrie waved at him. “Can you see my new ghost friend Alex?” she asked, feet still tucked under Alex’s leg. Her dad nodded at her but didn’t say anything. 

“Oh. Well that’s new. Hi Bobby.” He lifted a hand at the older man. Trevor shook himself.

“It’s Trevor now actually. I’ll let you two hang out, get out of your way,” he started to back away and then stopped. “Unless you want me to stay, Carrie?” he asked her. Carrie looked at her dad, really looked. She knew that he didn’t want to stay; Alex freaked him out for some reason that was not ghostly. But she also knew that if she said yes, he’d sit there all afternoon – just for her. She shook her head, and she saw her dad exhale.

“No that’s fine. Alex is just hanging out till Julie comes over. I’ll come up the studio later when Julie’s ready to rehearse,” Carrie told her dad. He nodded and smiled at her.

“Okay. Sounds like a plan. I’ll make sure to get the keyboard sheet music ready for her. What instrument did you want to play?” he asked. Carrie shrugged. She didn’t take a lot of time to play anymore, so whatever she picked might take a lot of work.

“I mean, whatever’s going to be easiest? I’ll rehearse and practice! But I haven’t played in a while, so it’s going to take serious effort. Plus, I’m not sure what kind of arrangement you’re laying out.” Carrie shrugged again. She trusted her dad would make the best choice for her.

“I’ll see if the bass or drums would be better with the guitar and keyboard pieces, okay?” He waited on the stairs for her response before he went up, just in case she objected.

“Sounds perfect! See ya later, dad!” she shouted. Trevor was up the stairs before she turned back to Alex. He looked impressed.

“You play the bass and the drums?” he whistled at her. Carrie grinned smug.

“Yup! Dad always said I could play whatever I wanted. He mostly plays the electric guitar, and Rose always preferred the piano. When we were little, Julie and I tried like _everything_. And dad got me all sorts of lessons, but I was best at the drums. Rose was always making these jokes about bass players though, which definitely went over my head at the time. I thought I should learn that too. It always made Rose smile, which I liked,” Carrie smiled as she talked. Alex thought she looked softer when she smiled.

“So how’d Dirty Candy come to be?” he asked, genuinely curious how one went from the drums to dancing in a pink wig. Carrie laughed. 

“I mean the real origin stared when I was 12? We had to do a talent show at school and I convinced my dad that we should do this Madonna dance he’d made with Rose, as a father-daughter dance. Which he did because he’s the best. But I loved it. I loved the costume and dancing. So dad got me dance lessons. And they were honestly way more fun than drum lessons. It just kind of spiraled from there. I got in a fight with Julie and Flynn the summer before high school, so I went with my dad to Japan. We saw this amazing KPop band – BlackPink – and it just inspired me! I actually begged him to take me all 7 of their performances that summer. I wanted to form something like that. So when the school year started I did,” Carrie explained.

“So what happened with Julie and Flynn?” Alex asked, noticing that part of the story had been left out. Carrie sighed loudly, completely missing the sound of her front door.

“Julie’s mom got sick. We were in a fight one day and the next we just weren’t friends. I knew that I should reach out, but it hurt and so I didn’t. I figured she had Flynn; she didn’t need me. And then Rose died. Julie was a mess. She was so quiet, and she didn’t make music. The gap between us just widened. I mean, my dad was really sad at that time too. Not in the same way maybe. But he’d lost his best friend of literal decades, so I wanted to be that new friend for him,” Carried continued on. She paused to see if Alex wanted her to say more. He seemed to be staring off, so she wasn’t sure. He put an arm around her shoulders though and peered at her expectantly.

“The 90s were shit for dad. And I know you know that, because you’re from the 90s and were giving each other weird looks. I don’t know the whole story. Dad always said he’d tell me when I was older, if I wanted. But I know it was bad just from the way Rose would look or act sometimes. They taught me – Rose and my dad – how to be a great friend. And I knew I was being shitty to Julie and to Flynn. Like we had a stupid fight in 2018 because I thought she wanted to replace me with Flynn. That was the fight. And when I got back I _knew_ that she really just wanted us to be the Three Musketeers, but I said nothing. Things just spiraled into what they are now. Now I’m the evil witch, and Julie hates me. I had a chance; there was a moment when I could have said I was sorry, and it all would have been fixed. But I didn’t.” Carrie said, feeling tears wet on her cheeks. For a moment, she thought Alex was looking behind her, but then he smiled sadly at her.

“And you can’t say your sorry now and mean it?” he questioned. Carrie let out a watery laugh.

“Of course I’m going to say I’m sorry. Today! When Julie gets here, I’m going say sorry and mean it. I know the golden rule, Alex. My dad taught me that you always tell your best friend sorry, you always look them in the eye and mean it, and you always promise to do better. Oh and here’s the key, after that you actually do better. But just because that was always good enough for Rose Molina doesn’t mean it also applies to Julie Molina after 2 years of being awful,” Carrie was actively crying now. She buried her face in Alex’s shoulder. 

“I mean, I think you should give it a try. I’m pretty sure it’ll work actually.” Carrie heard from behind her. That was not Alex. Carrie whipped around, tear streaks on her face. Julie Molina was standing in her house. 

“Julie!” she yelled and hopped off the couch. Julie gave her a half grin, even though her eyes looked wet.

“Carrie!” she yelled back and moved further into the living room. Carrie wiped her face and ran over to her former friend. She grabbed the other girl’s hands and looked into her eyes.

“Julie, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that I was jealous of Flynn. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me. I’m sorry about your mom. I’m sorry that was a bitch for no reason. I’m just really sorry. I promise I’ll do better, be a better a friend, if you’ll give me a chance?” Carrie looked imploringly at Julie. Julie smiled at her, and Carrie breathed easier. 

“Okay. I forgive you. I mean, you’re definitely going to have to apologize to Flynn too. And no guarantees that’ll be as easy. But if you want to do better and be friends again, then I’m willing to give you that chance, CareBear.” Julie Molina smiled then, and Carrie thought it was the second-best smile in the whole world (because she was a daddy’s girl, and he was always gonna be her #1). Carrie wrapped her arms around the other girl and tugged. Julie went willingly into the hug.

“Thanks JulieBean,” Carrie whispered. The two girls pulled apart to the sound of clapping. Alex cheered.

“Does this mean we can come over all the time now? Because Carrie promised to teach me to dance. And I still need to watch this group called BlackPink. Apparently, they’re inspiring,” Alex asked the girls. Julie and Carrie giggled.

“You’re totally welcome anytime, Alex. Bring Willie! Maybe my super awesome I-can-touch-Alex powers extend to Willie,” Carrie sing-songed, wiggling her eyebrows.

“I mean, yeah, we can come hang out with my friend Carrie. Also, you can touch Alex?!” Julie squealed at her. Carrie nodded excitedly. 

“Yeah! I mean Alex said that was weird, but I think it’s super awesome because he’s so snuggly!” Carrie exclaimed. Julie smiled even wider and nodded enthusiastically.

“Right?! He’s so good at it. I mean all the boys are really, but Alex is definitely second best,” Julie enthused. 

“Hey! I am first best! Luke has an unfair advantage!” Alex protested. Carrie giggled again and grabbed Julie’s hand, dragging her to the couch.

“Right. So Luke. Tell me everything! Specifically how you know he’s the best to snuggle and why he never wears sleeves. Wait, and also why Reggie is the least snuggly? I have so many questions!” Carrie squealed again. Alex snorted.

“Yeah, Julie, tell her all about snuggles with Reggie,” Alex teased. Carrie’s cheeks turned pink. Julie bumped her shoulder in solitude.

“Oh my god! ALEX!” Carrie yelled and covered her face. Julie giggled. Alex held his hands up.

“Okay okay. I can see when I’m not needed. Ghost boy out!” he said and then poof, he was gone. Carrie stared at the space where he once was. 

“Does that ever get not weird?” she asked her friend. Julie shook her head.

“Nope. But I’m so glad that you can see him! I wonder if you could see Luke and Reggie too?” Julie questioned.

“I mean dad could see him too, when he was on the couch with me. But I’m not up on the ghost protocol. Is that the norm?” Carrie asked the other girl. 

“Yeah. My dad can see them too, if I’m touching one of them. He can’t touch them though. It’s kind of still in the testing phase though. You can come over, if you want, and help us run through scenarios?” Julie offered. 

“Yeah. I can totally do that. I literally have so many things to ask you, but I told dad we’d rehearse with him when you got here. Do you want to spend the night?” Carrie asked hesitantly. “That way we can catch up. We can invite Flynn too. I’ll work on my best grovel speech.” Carrie looked down at her hands, afraid Julie might say no. The other girl hopped up off the couch.

“Yeah. That’d be great. I’ll text Flynn to let her know. You mind if she comes to rehearsal?” Julie looked back at Carrie. Carrie followed Julie to the stairs. 

“No, that’s fine. If she wants, I’m sure dad can work her into the song. He’s kind of over the moon that I asked him to make this arrangement. Think he’s a secret Destiny’s Child fan,” Carrie replied, heading up the stairs. 

For the rest of the afternoon, three girls sat in Trevor Wilson’s studio working on a special arrangement of _Survivor_. They laughed, sang, and played music. Sometimes Flynn gave Carrie the stink eye. Sometimes Carrie stuck her tongue out at her. Sometimes Trevor left the studio and brought them lemonade or pizza. And at the end of the night, the girls piled into Carrie’s princess dream bed, stared up at the stars on her ceiling, and just talked. It was the best day that Carrie had in 2 years. 

Carrie Wilson didn’t have a lot of friends. When she was 13, she might have said she had two friends (back then she might not have counted her dad). When she was 14, she was certain that she just had one. The summer she was 16, Carrie would have said she had 5 friends (Kayla, Alex, Julie, Flynn, and her dad). But she knew in her heart that her dad was the most important. After all, he taught her everything she knew about being a good friend, about being a good person, and about being a good musician. He loved her no matter what. And he put star constellations on her ceiling so she wouldn't be scared at night – seriously #1 dad stuff. Secretly, she wondered if someone asked Trevor Wilson who his best friend was, what his answer would be.

The answer would have been his Carrie Queen. Obviously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw "CareBear" and "JulieBean" in another fic; I'm not sure which one, but I really liked it. ALSO, apparently Carrie also has a crush on Reggie. Those Wilsons have a type. *runs and hides*
> 
> And for verification, BlackPink totally on tour in Japan in 2018 (July 24 - August 26). I checked.
> 
> This chapter brought to you by BlackPink songs:  
> ["Kill This Love"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S24-y0Ij3Y)  
> ["Kiss and Makeup"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3n6coWdsEE)  
> ["How You Like That"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioNng23DkIM)  
> ["Ice Cream"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRXZj0DzXIA)


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carrie has a crush on a boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit to Dorothyshoes30 for "Princess Bubblegum" - it was just too perfect! ♥
> 
> Timeline Note: November 2020 (Junior Year)  
> Which means the girls are 16 (if you didn’t see the updated note on the previous chapter)!

On the Friday afternoon before Thanksgiving break, most students made their escape the second the bell rang. Carrie Wilson stayed late. To be fair, she was in the dance studio – a special place where time did not exist for her.

She did not, however, plan to be alone. And yet, she was. Carrie tapped her pink sneaker on the ground and collapsed down, back to the studio mirror. _Where is he?_

She barely had the thought when a boy “poofed” – more like crashed – into the studio. She smiled instantly, though it turned to confusion shortly after.

“Reggie?” she asked. He turned and grinned at her.

“Princess Bubblegum!” he exclaimed and dropped onto the ground by her. She raised her eyebrows.

“Where’s Alex? Wait, what did you call me?” Carrie was very confused. Reggie didn’t drop his grin though.

“Oh. Princess Bubblegum! Because Julie’s showed me this show, and that made me think of you. Ya know, all the pink and sparkles. Plus you’re like a real live princess, right? So ta-da! Why? Is that bad? Do you hate it?” he asked, getting quieter. Carrie hurried to shake her head.

“No! I love it! I mean, it’s cool. Nobody else calls me that. I like it,” she smiled sweetly at him, her cheeks turning pink. Reggie perked back up. 

“Really?! Nobody ever lets me pick their nicknames! You’re the best. Bet that’s why Alex likes hanging out with you all the time, huh?” Reggie chuckled and nodded to himself.

“I mean, I generally think he hangs out with me on Fridays to dance. But you can think I’m the best, if you want. Where is he though?” she asked again.

“Right! That’s the reason I came actually. Willie popped by, and he really wanted to go out with him. So I volunteered to come tell you!” Reggie exclaimed again. Carrie noted that he was much more excitable than Alex.

“Oh. That makes sense. People with boyfriends do that,” Carrie said quietly to herself. Reggie shrugged.

“It seems so. I’ve never had a boyfriend, so I can’t give you independent confirmation. But it’s also what Julie and Luke are doing tonight,” he replied to her. Carrie giggled.

“And do you want a boyfriend, Reggie?” she asked him. He winked at her.

“Why? Do you know a fella that’s interested in all this?” he gestured to himself and wiggled his butt on the studio floor. Carrie rolled her eyes and laughed. 

“Sorry. I’m not up on the latest boy gossip,” she quipped back at him.

“Ooh. But the latest girl gossip you might be? Well, are there any ladies pining for me?” he asked, moving closer to her. Carrie felt her face heat up again, and she swallowed.

“Top secret girl information, I’m afraid,” she answered and got to her feet quickly. Reggie smiled up at her. “So does this mean you’re my replacement Friday dance partner?” she asked him, holding out a hand. He grabbed it and pulled himself up.

“I can be. But like full disclosure, I’ve been told I can’t dance. And I’ve seen you perform – a lot. I’m not ready for membership in Dirty Candy,” he snorted at her. He didn’t drop her hand. Carrie felt her heart beat faster. _Nope, do not think about that._

“I’m sure I can pick something you can do and have fun. I mean, that’s the point of Fridays anyway – fun dancing!” Carrie gripped his hand and twirled him around. He laughed.

“Okay. I see your point. So what did you have in mind?” he asked her. She peered at him intently. 

“Well now I feel like I have to pick the perfect thing. Like I’ve made it my mission to make a dancer out of you. Or at least someone who thinks dancing is fun. But I'm not sure I know enough about you to make that call yet,” she told him.

“Well what do you know? Because I can tell you more things!” he smiled at her again. She liked his smile.

“I mean, it’s mostly all secondhand info. I know you’re funny, and you love ghost shows. And Julie says you’re not as snuggly as Luke, but that’s probably bias. Oh and Alex says you have this obsession with turning everyone into a country band. Which could be cool. There are really fun country line dances! And I think Luke mentioned that you helped write some of the songs, so there’s that too. Oh and you have a pretty singing voice! Well and obviously, I know you play the bass. You’re ridiculously talented – and totally hot.” Carrie rambled on and then stopped short. She pulled her hand away from Reggie and covered her face. “Oh my god.” Reggie grinned, but Carrie didn’t see that.

“So you think I’m hot?” Reggie teased, pulling her hands from her face. Carrie noted that his cheeks were splotchy.

“Can we just skate right over that?” she squeaked out. Reggie smiled and nodded.

“Fineee,” he drawled, “But like we’re going to come back to it at some point, right? Like a pretty girl calling you hot is a thing you come back to.” Carrie giggled.

“Let’s just say we table it until I see these dance moves,” Carrie said, putting her hands on her hips. Reggie laughed again.

“Wait, you didn’t pick anything to dance to!” he exclaimed. Carrie blushed again.

“You were distracting me!” she accused. Reggie raised an eyebrow at her and moved closer to her. 

“Oh well, forgive me then. My hotness distracts all the girls and boys honestly. Alex and Luke, who?” he wiggled his hips and batted his eyelashes at her. It was decidedly not hot – but Carrie thought it was adorable anyway. Carrie giggled and dropped her arms. 

“Touché. So tell me all the most important things to pick the best dance for Reggie,” she said, peering up at him. _Huh, when did he get so close and so tall?_

“I mean you said there were country dances. Can we do one of those? Despite what Alex says, I do not have an obsession. I just think the music hits different. Have you heard George Strait? That dude is a legend. Plus, I wrote some country songs, but we’ve never played them. But I can try whatever moves, if you’re not going to make fun of me for like falling,” he told her. Carrie bit her lip as she thought – absently, she noted Reggie’s eyes on her lips.

“I would never laugh at someone learning a dance! And I get it, you know? The country thing. I have songs that I’ve written that are ballads and just don’t go with Dirty Candy’s sound. But they might totally work with some extra violin. So it’s definitely a thing people do. You can still play them, even if they’re not official Julie and the Phantom songs. I do. My dad lets me throw these Carrie Wilson concerts for him and play whatever. You could join – if you wanted?” she offered quietly. Reggie smiled at her then, bright and wide - like she was the first ray of sunshine for a guy who had only ever walked in the dark. Personally, Carrie thought he should smile like that all the time. It was a really great smile.

“You, Princess Bubblegum, are the best! See? I was right! I’d like that. Count me in,” he said and pulled her into a hug. Carrie thought the room suddenly had way less air than before, but she wrapped her arms around him anyway. _He’s got like a lot of muscle for a dude who wears sleeves so much._

“And I can now also tell you that I’ve decided what dance to teach you!” Carrie exclaimed suddenly and pulled away. She grabbed her phone, searched for the song, and then suddenly the room was filled with the voice of Miley Cyrus. Reggie listened and then smiled.

“I like it!” he bobbed his head. Carrie grinned. _Boys who want to dance are the best._

“Okay, Cowboy, let’s start at the top,” she said, grabbing his hands and pulling him to the middle of the studio. 

“Wait, Cowboy?” Reggie stuttered, knocking into her. Carrie tossed her hair over her shoulder and smirked.

“Nicknames are fair game, wouldn’t you say?” she teased, grabbing his hips and moving him into position. Reggie’s face flamed red. 

“Uh, um,” Reggie cleared his throat, “yeah. Totally. Right then. Teach me your magic ways.” Carrie nodded and restarted the song.

And if 2 hours later, Carrie was holding hands with a ghost boy so that they could make a video dancing to _Hoedown Throwdown_ , well that was between Carrie and her TikTok followers. 

* * *

Carrie arrived home later than her father was expecting. Trevor Wilson sat on the living room couch, waiting for her. At 7 pm, Carrie breezed into the house and flopped down on the couch, landing on her back.

“Hey kiddo. You’re late for dinner. What were you up to?” he asked her, as she moved her feet into his lap. Carrie sighed loudly.

“Dancing. I posted a new TikTok actually,” Carrie replied and sighed again. Trevor shook his head; he should have known.

“Yeah? I’ll be sure to go like it then,” he told her. Carrie wiggled her toes and then pulled herself up into her dad’s favorite crisscross position. He raised his eyebrows at her. He could always tell when she needed to talk.

“Okay. So there’s this boy,” she said slowly. Her dad nodded; he knew there was something! He nodded at her. She smiled. “And I like him.”

“And you want me to meet him?” he asked her. She laughed.

“Well, I mean, yes. But no? That’s not why I’m telling you or anything. I mean, I did invite him over sometime. But I guess I just wanted to chat about him? We don’t have to though,” she replied. He dad smiled at her.

“No way! We totally can talk about this boy! We just never talked about Nick, so I thought maybe you liked to talk to Kayla instead.” he explained. Carrie shook her head. 

“Oh. Nick. I didn’t really _like_ like him. He was really just my friend. So there was never anything to tell you,” Carrie told him. Her dad nodded – that did explain some things.

“So this boy is the first boy you’ve really liked?” he asked her. She nodded. “Okay. Then tell me about him.” Carrie smiled.

“Well, he’s really cute – I mean as long as you like boys in leather and plaid, which I totally do. And his smile is really contagious, and he laughs with his entire body. Also, he’s kind of a terrible dancer, but he’s totally willing to give any move a shot. It’s actually adorable,” Carrie smiled really big here, “And he calls me Princess Bubblegum. Which, I mean, might be sarcastic from most people, but he means it in a really sweet way! Oh. And he plays the bass – way better than I ever could. He’s totally gonna be a Rockstar. But he writes country music, which is why I invited him over! I thought we could perform some of our songs that won’t make the cut for performances?” Carrie asked excitedly. Her dad smiled at her.

“He sounds great, honey. And we can one of our Carrie Wilson concerts whenever you want – featuring a special guest star. Just let me know when,” he replied. Carrie cheered and lunged at her dad. He caught her in a hug. “I’m totally winning dad points right now.”

“You are the best dad ever!” she squealed. “You don’t even need extra points.” He kissed the top of her head.

“Anything for my little girl. Plus, you told me! About your first crush! This is definitely not covered on those single dad parenting websites,” he chucked again. Carrie bounced up off the couch and headed towards the kitchen.

“Duh, Dad. You’ve got to look on the 'my best friend is my dad' websites. They’ve got way better info,” she hollered back. He grinned to himself.

Carrie Wilson had one boyfriend – in her sophomore year. She’d asked her friend Nick, because he was nice. And she thought that people (maybe Julie and Flynn) would think that she must be nice too – which was not her best plan. Not once did she think of him as her _real_ boyfriend. If anyone asked her, she’d tell you that if you have a crush on a boy – you tell your best friend. Which is exactly what she’d done. Because if you ever got a _real_ boyfriend, it had to be someone your best friend approved. Carrie really hoped her dad liked Reggie – _for completely unrelated reasons._

Trevor Wilson was not surprised that his daughter’s first crush was Reggie Nelson. After all, Wilsons had good taste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you by [Hannah Montana](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFQMlJMnyoQ)!
> 
> Also, I think this fic is just straight up moving to Carrie/Reggie, so welcome to my new ship.


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carrie gets a boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fictional NYE incoming to ring in fictional 2021! This story now including more Reggie than ever! 
> 
> Also, guys I have no musical skills and cannot write a song. So I had to borrow one for this chapter from a real country singer. CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.

Carrie Wilson attended her first New Years Eve party when she was 16. Julie had invited her over, and Carrie had gladly accepted. Mr. Molina was supervising – albeit from the house and only occasionally popping in to make sure they weren’t setting things on fire or something. Her dad was at some industry party with his own band. Every other year, he’d been with Carrie to ring in the new year. She was decidedly _not_ pouting about missing him.

Julie hosted her gathering in the garage studio – the bands’ instruments pushed to the side to make room for a mini dancefloor. The coffee table was littered with snacks and soda cans. 

Julie and Luke were cuddling on the couch, a little bit in their own world. She might have overheard a discussion on performing some romantic duet at their next show. _Not that she was listening in._

Flynn was grooving down on the dance floor – hitting some moves that Carrie really wanted to try – maybe even add them into the next Dirty Candy song. Kayla was keeping up with her though. Both girls’ faces were flushed as they moved to the beat. Carrie smiled.

Alex stood at the edge of the dance floor, waving his hands excitedly at Willie. Carrie figured he was describing some song or dance he wanted to do when Willie leaned over and kissed him. Carrie felt the urge to clap; they were just so cute! 

Carrie leaned on the garage doorway and watched her friends. She attempted to play it cool, but a grin pulled at her lips. She really liked her friends. _Junior year was a 10/10. _Briefly, she considered joining the dancefloor, but Kayla looked like she’d rather have Flynn to herself for a little longer – or maybe a **lot** longer. __

__Carrie looked around for Reggie but didn’t see him anywhere. Suddenly, with a “poof”, he was in front of her. She smiled at him. Reggie grabbed her hand and pulled her outside._ _

__“Where exactly are we going?” she asked, following him._ _

__“To the roof!” he exclaimed. That peaked Carrie’s interest._ _

__“Is that where you’ve been?” she questioned. He nodded._ _

__“Yeah. Had something to do. Did you miss me?” he teased. But Carrie just nodded. Reggie stopped to lean over and kiss her on the cheek. _Wow, it’s suddenly very warm outside for winter. Carrie blushed. “Well, I had a really good reason. But it’s almost midnight, so come on,” he tugged her into the house.__ _

___Reggie was very familiar with the Molina house. He led her to a window on the second floor and that opened out to a large expanse of roof – though not the very top, more like an overlook of the garage. Faintly, Carrie could hear the music downstairs switch off and onto the NYE Countdown from New York City. Carrie followed him out onto the roof. A plaid little throw blanket was laid out on the shingles, and an acoustic guitar sat there._ _ _

___“I’m suddenly very glad I’m wearing pants,” she remarked and sat down on the blanket. “Whose guitar is that?” Reggie sat next to her and picked it up._ _ _

___“Mine. It’s not my bass obviously. But sometimes you have to branch out for your true country vision.” He strummed a few cords. Carrie smiled. She liked to hear about Reggie’s country vision._ _ _

___“Are you going to play me one of your country songs?” she whispered, like she was asking him to tell her a secret. Reggie swallowed and nodded._ _ _

___“It’s new. Um, because I wrote it for you. So I hope you like it,” he replied quietly. He blushed and it extended down his neck. Carrie smiled softly and moved his hair off his forehead. He looked into her eyes and smiled. Softly he strummed the cords, and Carrie swayed with the rhythm._ _ _

___Reggie’s voice sounded like honey, pulling her in close. She watched mesmerized – eyes bouncing between Reggie’s lips singing such sweet words and Reggie’s fingers playing such beautiful melodies._ _ _

____Where do you go when you're lonely?  
Where do you go when you're blue?  
Where do you go when you're lonely?  
I'll follow you  
When the stars go blue  
Stars go blue  
Stars go blue  
Stars go blue  
Laughin' with your pretty mouth  
Laughin' with your broken eyes  
Laughin' with your lover's tongue  
In a lullaby_ _ _ _

___If either of them had paid attention, they might have heard the radio shut off downstairs. They might have peered over the edge to see their friends outside. But, in that moment, Reggie only cared what Carrie thought of his song. And Carrie only cared about hearing him sing to her._ _ _

___When he finished strumming the last note, Reggie put the guitar back behind him on the roof. He looked at Carrie nervously and ran his hand through his hair._ _ _

___“So, that’s out there now,” he chuckled darkly. Carrie moved closer and laced their fingers together._ _ _

___“You wrote that for me? It’s the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard,” she replied softly. A tear fell down her cheek, and Reggie wiped it away. They were so close now that Carrie could feel his breath. She could smell the distant scent of leather and pine that was _him_. She moved closer then, to close the distance between their lips. For a moment, she worried she’d done something wrong. His lips were a little dry and hers were coated in bubblegum Chapstick. But then his breath hitched, and his lips parted. Reggie tasted like root beer and little like rubber – as if he’d been chewing on an eraser while working on a song. _ _ _

___She couldn’t say how long they kissed for, up on the roof. Just that when they pulled back, she was panting. Reggie’s lips were swollen. They both looked disheveled. Carrie grinned, and Reggie swooped back in for another quick kiss._ _ _

___“Wow,” he breathed out finally. She leaned on his shoulder._ _ _

___“Double wow, Cowboy,” she replied. He wrapped an arm around her back._ _ _

___“I feel like we’re supposed to go back now. Not sure if we missed midnight? But we can also totally sit up here and kiss some more,” he told her. Carrie giggled._ _ _

___“I like kissing. But maybe we could kiss inside. Where there’s heat,” she replied, pressing her lips to his cheek. He laughed._ _ _

___“Right! Heat for Princess Bubblegum,” he smiled at her again and helped her back through the window. Carrie had recently invested in a whole assortment of bubblegum flavored chapsticks. _Totally worth it_._ _ _

___Reggie pulled her inside the house and into his arms. He kissed her sweetly and then pulled back. She laced their fingers together again._ _ _

___“So friends?” he started, and Carrie raised her eyebrows. Reggie laughed. “I meant we have friends downstairs, and we should check on them. Also so I can tell everyone I have a really awesome girlfriend.” He lifted up their joined hands and kissed the back of her hand. “Wait, I mean, I’m asking you to be my really awesome girlfriend,” he backpedaled. Carrie smiled and kissed him quickly._ _ _

___“I mean, yeah. I will 100% be your really awesome girlfriend, Reg. And you can be my really awesome boyfriend,” she answered. They made their way downstairs and out to the garage._ _ _

___Luke and Julie were still on the couch when they got there, but Luke got up and rushed over to Reggie when he saw them. Carrie disentangled her hand before Luke crushed Reggie in a hug._ _ _

___“Bro! Congrats! But also, can we talk about that song?! Because it was awesome!” he yelled excitedly. Julie laughed from the couch and motioned for Carrie to join her._ _ _

___“Sorry about him. I swear it was almost impossible to keep him from running up there and working on a new song instantly,” Julie laughed again and shook her head affectionately. Carrie didn’t really mind. Luke dragged Reggie over to the instruments in the corner. Alex followed and Willie flopped down on the couch. Flynn and Kayla were squashed together on the chair. Neither seemed to mind._ _ _

___“We’ve lost them now,” Willie laughed. Julie nodded in agreement._ _ _

___“Well anyway, happy New Year!” Kayla cheered. Flynn wiggled around to throw her legs over the other girl’s lap. Julie grinned at them._ _ _

___“Here’s to the best one yet!” she toasted with her Sunkist can. Carried agreed with her; things were looking pretty good for the upcoming year. Around her, her friends chattered on – about school and music and even art shows (that one was Willie)._ _ _

___Quietly, she got up and walked outside. Not far away – she could still hear everyone talking and musical notes randomly being played. Carrie pulled her phone out and hit FaceTime on her #1 contact._ _ _

___Her dad answered on the first ring. He was grinning. Carrie also noticed glitter in his hair._ _ _

___“Hi dad! Happy New Year!” she exclaimed. She just wanted to make sure to ring in the new year with him too._ _ _

___“Happy New Year kiddo! Are you having fun at your party? Do you need me to come get you?” he asked quickly. Carrie smiled though and shook her head._ _ _

___“No no. I’m totally good! I just wanted to see you! Wilson family tradition and all that jazz.” She wiggled her fingers in an attempt to do a one-hand jazz hand. Her dad laughed. “Well and also, because I have a boyfriend! So like. I wanted to tell you. And now you know!” she said excitedly and blushed a little. Her dad grinned at her._ _ _

___“Ringing in the new year with good news, huh? That’s awesome kiddo. Also, Wilson family traditions and all that jazz. Your old man is also ringing in the new year with a new boyfriend,” he laughed, and the camera panned over to show Mike – the bassist in her dad’s band – waving at her. Carrie grinned and waved back._ _ _

___“Hi Mike!” Carrie greeted. The camera moved back to her dad’s face. “So brunch, tomorrow, with Mike?” she asked him._ _ _

___“I mean sure. But Carrie you’ve had brunch with Mike before – a lot. He’s been my bassist for actual years!” her dad exclaimed. Carrie rolled her eyes. She heard movement to her left and felt a warm arm around her waist._ _ _

___“Yeah, dad. But tomorrow I’m having brunch with my dad’s _boyfriend_. Not my dad’s bassist. It’s totally different,” she replied. Reggie kissed her head. She smiled and leaned into him, pulling the phone back to allow him in the frame. Her dad grinned._ _ _

___“Rightttt. Sure. Then we should also have a dinner with your _boyfriend_. That’s a thing dad’s do, you know?” he smirked at her. “Hey Reggie.”_ _ _

___“Hey Trevor. And hey Mike that I haven’t met!” he exclaimed. A chiseled and scruffy jaw came into the frame, pushing his cheek next to Trevor’s._ _ _

___“Hi Carrie’s boyfriend, Reggie! Bassists are the best!” he replied, his voice deep. Carrie and her dad laughed at the same time._ _ _

___“Okay dad. Happy New Year! See you tomorrow! Love you!” she said in a rush and ended the FaceTime to her dad’s laughing “love you”. She put her phone in her pocket and looked at her boyfriend._ _ _

___“I thought you were making music for the rest of the night? I was just about to put on my pajamas and put a claim in on Julie’s bed,” she told him, rubbing her bare arms. Reggie pulled off his plaid button-up and put it on her shoulders. Carrie pulled it on an inhaled the scent of pure Reggie._ _ _

___“Music will be there tomorrow,” Reggie shrugged and pulled her into a hug. She felt the muscles in his back and arms now that he was in just a tank top. She decided she was totally pro-sleeveless. _She should talk to Julie about installing some sort of band policy. _____ _

_____“For the record, I will be too. If you were feeling the music magic. I do get that,” she said softly. Reggie smiled at her._ _ _ _ _

_____“I mean you came out her alone. I just wanted to be sure you were okay,” he replied. Carrie felt warm in her heart, knowing he cared so much._ _ _ _ _

_____“I just wanted to say hi to dad. We usually spend New Years together. I know that’s cheesy, and that dad's still not your _favorite_ ,” she shrugged and tucked her face into his chest. Reggie squeezed her a little tighter. She felt him take a deep breath. _ _ _ _ _

_____“I’m not going to pretend like I 100% get it, because my parents were the **worst**. And I know he’s your dad Trevor, but he’s also still kind of Bobby? But I’m working through it. Because I can see that to you he’s like the best ever, and _you are my favorite_ ,” Reggie explained quietly. Carrie pulled back a little and kissed him on the nose. He chuckled. _ _ _ _ _

_____“I know it’s weird. I know he did some shady shit when I was a kid. But I also know he went through hell before I was born, and he’s totally number one dad material. My literal best friend. If you want some company while you work through that though, I’ve been told I’m the best?” she teased, hoping to make him smile. It worked._ _ _ _ _

_____“Yeah? I might need a lot of company. In fact, I think they say kissing is an awesome way to pass the time,” he said, picking her up and twirling her around. Carrie giggled._ _ _ _ _

_____“Is that so? Well, I do have a whole week free for kissing before school starts back…” she trailed off as Reggie kissed her again. Luke startled them both by rushing out of the garage._ _ _ _ _

_____“Dude! Are you coming back? Oh man. I did it again. I’m a total kiss ruiner. Just ask Alex. Sorry guys,” he apologized sheepishly. Carrie laughed and moved out of Reggie’s arms. Julie, Flynn, and Kayla appeared behind Luke._ _ _ _ _

_____“Go make music. I’m ready for bed anyway,” Carrie said. Julie nodded at her. Reggie and Luke headed back._ _ _ _ _

_____“Okay. Human girl sleepover commencing!” she said and clapped her hands. The girls headed towards the house. Behind them, they heard Luke from the garage._ _ _ _ _

_____“Ah man! Twice in 5 minutes!” Luke hollered. Flynn snorted and looped her arm through Kayla’s._ _ _ _ _

_____“Whoops. Poor Alex and Willie,” Kayla giggled. Julie laughed too – still chuckling a little to herself when they reached her room._ _ _ _ _

_____Later, after they were all dressed in pajamas and had pristine clean teeth, Carrie stared out Julie’s window at the stars. She was still wearing Reggie’s plaid shirt. Once upon a time, that would have embarrassed her. But it didn’t now. When Julie noticed, she just smiled like she got it. And Carrie smiled back – because Julie was a really great friend like that._ _ _ _ _

_____Carrie Wilson had a boyfriend. He played bass in her friend Julie’s band. He smelled like leather and pine. He had these _muscles_ in his back and arms and was ridiculously hot – especially for someone who wore so much plaid. He wrote her beautiful music that made her cry. When he kissed her, he tasted like root beer and made her forget how to breath. He made her feel special and important. And her last thought before she fell asleep was that she hoped her dad’s boyfriend made him feel just as special and important. Because he was her best friend, and he deserved it. _ _ _ _ _

_____If anyone had asked him, Trevor Wilson would have told them that Mike did._ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you by [Tim McGraw's version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIZ-2FB5a3g). 
> 
> Also, if you want my head cannon, Mike totally looks Charles Michael Davis. He's just *swoon*.


	5. Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carrie goes to Junior Prom with her best girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOW PRESENTING: Our newest ship: Flynn/Kayla. QUEENS. 👑👑
> 
> Timeline Note: May 2020 - our main ladies are now 17!
> 
> Also, I know the AMAs are actually in November - but can we pretend they're in May? K. thanks!

Two hours before Junior Prom, there were four teenage girls in Carrie Wilson’s bedroom. Specifically, there were four teenage girls wreaking havoc on Carrie’s bedroom. There were multiple formal dresses dumped on her bed, makeup scattered on her vanity, and the bathroom counter boasted three separate blow dryers, two curling wands, and a flat iron. Lady Gaga blared through the speakers in the entire second floor of the Wilson home. 

Carrie stood in her bedroom and stared longingly at her pink wig. Kayla bumped her shoulder. Carrie turned to her friend.

“I wish the wig matched,” she said for the second time that night. Kayla laughed. 

“Girl no! We’re going to Prom; we’re not performing at Prom,” Kayla explained – again. She flounced to the bed and grabbed a dress. “I think this is the one. I’m going to change.” It had been a floor length gown. Carrie smoothed her fingers over own dress where it ended on her thighs. _Maybe she should wear a floor length gown._

At that moment, Julie emerged from her on-suite bathroom and grinned. Her dress had silver beading on the bodice and the skirt was like a long tutu – tulle was everywhere. Julie’s dress was hot pink. _The wig would totally match that dress._

“I’m glad I’m not the only one wearing a short dress!” Julie exclaimed at her. Carrie let out a breath.

“I thought you were going to wear purple?” Carrie asked her. “Also, you don’t think I look like a figure skater?” she questioned. She rubbed the thin chiffon skirt of her dress between her fingers. The arms and body of the dress were sheer (made with illusion mesh that actual figure skaters used) and covered in thousands of purple and silver jewels, beading, and glitter. It had been custom made for her.

“I don’t think we have to wear the same color. Unless, that’s an unspoken rule? And no, CareBear, your dress looks awesome. And like you can really dance in it – which we’re totally doing. Besides, figure skating outfits are **way** shorter,” Julie replied. Carrie laughed.

“I meant because I was wearing an actual leotard under here, JulieBean,” Carrie laughed and twirled around to show Julie her shiny purple leotard. Julie grinned at her.

“I mean, dude,” she said and gave her own twirl. Carrie saw Julie’s hot pink spandex under her skirt and laughed out loud again.

“So like best dressed couple award then?” she grinned at her friend. Julie nodded. Flynn came out of the bathroom in a robe.

“How is everyone else already to the totally dressed part of the evening?” she asked, digging through the dresses on the bed. “AHA!” she yelled and pulled one out. “Okay. Who wants to help me zip this baby up?” Flynn asked. Julie followed their friend back into the bathroom. 

Kayla came back into Carrie’s room – in her midnight blue silk dress with spaghetti straps and a slit up to her thigh – and pulled the other girl out into the hallway with her. 

“Why are we waiting out here?” Carrie asked. But Kayla continued down the stairs. Carrie followed her to the living room. Finally the other girl turned to her.

“We are waiting down here. Because we’re ready, and we’re taking pictures outside anyway. And also so that Flynn can make her big entrance,” Kayla explained and sat on the couch. Carrie looked at her friend’s leg sticking out of her dress and gave her the side-eye. “Oh no. You are wearing an actual leotard. And I know Julie is wearing spandex under that tutu. I am fully entitled to a potentially-inappropriately-high thigh slit in my normal evening gown,” Kayla huffed. Carrie smiled.

“I like it. Just maybe save the potential inappropriateness for after Julie and I have shocked the world with our dancing in said leotard and spandex.” Carrie winked at her. 

“Deal. I’ll just spend the first half romancing my girlfriend. That is why we’re going to prom, anyway, isn’t it?” Kayla asked. “Because you and Julie can’t bring your boyfriends. And I know both of you would rather be performing. But you’re both going anyway for us,” Kayla said quietly. Carrie wrapped an arm around her friend and pulled her closer.

“We would rather support you and Flynn than perform - no question. You’re my friend, Kayla. And Flynn is my friend. I’m totally psyched that you both are living your love story. And that I get to be a part of it. Plus, Julie and I are totally going to be the best dressed couple,” she grinned. Kayla huffed and scrunched her nose. 

“You’re not even wearing the same color!” Kayla sputtered. 

“Julie said that we didn’t have to! I totally knew that was a thing.” Carrie laughed and bumped their shoulders together. Kayla smiled softly at her.

“Thanks. For doing this tonight and for being my best friend,” Kayla said softly. Carrie opened her mouth to say something, but Kayla shook her head. “I know you’re going to say your dad is your best friend. I don’t mind. I’m just letting you know that you’re mine. You scooped me up the first day of high school and brought dancing, music, and colored wigs into my life. When I came out as bi, you kissed me on the forehead and told me that you loved me. And you’re going to Junior Prom to watch me live my Disney Princess dream with my girlfriend – even though your boyfriend can’t come.” Carrie felt her eyes tear up. She forced herself not to cry and ruin her makeup.

“Love you to the moon and back. I remember,” she replied finally. Kayla smiled and bumped their shoulders together again. Suddenly, they heard a noise from the top of the stairs. 

“The Queen has arrived,” Flynn announced and glided into the living room. She put her hand on her hip and then thrust said hip out. Her two-piece dress was royal blue. The top was long-sleeve lace and the bottom was a full silk skirt. Kayla hopped off the couch.

“Aw babe. You look stunning,” Kayla gushed and kissed Flynn softly on the lips, so as not to ruin either of their lipstick. Flynn smiled at her.

“Back at ya, babe, damn,” she whistled. Kayla grinned and looped her arm through the other girl’s. The door to the backyard opened, and Julie's dad walked in.

“Ladies! Todas te ves hermosa. I’ve got everything setup outside for pictures. Oh, your corsages – they’re in the fridge. Let me get them,” he said, moving to the kitchen. 

“Thanks dad. I think we’re ready for pictures?” Julie replied, voice lifting in a question as she looked at the other girls. Everyone nodded but Carrie. She touched her ears.

“We forgot jewelry!” she cried. Flynn snorted.

“Does that dress not have enough gems for you?” she teased. Carrie rolled her eyes.

“I meant for everyone. Dad left something for us,” she explained and picked up the boxes from the ledge under the TV. Her dad had the AMAs tonight and was up for an award for his new single – the one he’d written for Mike. She was proud of him, and she hoped he won. She handed a box to each girl. 

“Tiffany’s? Ooh. Your dad went all out,” Kayla said, opening the box. Inside were a pair of Mesh Tassel Earrings. Carrie smiled.

“I think he was sad he was missing tonight. They should match everyone though,” Carrie said and put hers on. Julie smiled. There was a sound of a door opening in the background

“They’re really pretty, Carrie. Tell your dad thank you!” Flynn exclaimed and pulled them out of the box.

“Yeah, double thanks! These are perfect,” Julie agreed and put hers on too.

“Triple thanks. My outfit is now complete,” Kayla gushed and did a twirl. Suddenly there was clapping in the room. 

“Well, you’re all welcome then. And I agree, Kayla, totally completes the outfit,” Trevor said. Carrie spun around and stared at her dad.

“What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to arrive at the AMAs 20 minutes ago?” she asked in confusion. Her dad laughed. Ray came into the living room with the corsages.

“Thought you were going to miss the pictures,” he said to other man and handed the flowers to the girls. Trevor grinned in response. 

“Mike was talking forever to find the _perfect_ vest,” Trevor chuckled. Ray shook his head with a smile.

“It’s the AMAs, Trevor!” came a voice from door. The man entered the living room in a huff. “Think of the pictures,” he huffed and moved next to Trevor. “Wow. You are four stunning ladies. Nobody else at the prom is even gonna come close,” he drawled. The girls smiled at each other. 

“Thanks! But aren’t you missing the AMAs like right now?” Carrie asked again. 

“Psh. We couldn’t miss my baby’s first prom pictures! We’re going to be Rockstars and arrive fashionably late,” Trevor told her. Carrie grinned. At the door, Flynn’s mom and Kayla’s mom had arrived. Ray nodded hello to them.

“And without further ado, pictures!” Ray said with a flourish and hand wave to outside. In the back corner, Ray had setup twinkling lights on the hedges and silver glitter on the ground. The sunset was framed behind the hedges. His camera was on a stand pointed at the area. 

“Nobody does a photoshoot like Ray Molina,” Trevor said and clapped Ray on the shoulder. Ray grinned. 

“Don’t you know it, amigo,” Ray replied. Flynn and Kayla put their matching corsages on each other – blue orchids with silver ribbon. Carrie and Julie each had a single dahlia surrounded by rhinestones – pink and purple respectively. 

“Did you pick these?” Julie asked her quietly. Carrie leaned over and kissed the top of her friend’s head.

“Yeah. You like them?” she responded. Julie smiled softly and nodded. “Just a little reminder that she’s with us.” Julie teared up, and she pulled the other girl in for a hug. Their dads clapped from behind them.

“Positions, chicas!” Ray ordered. The girls moved to the photo spot. They started with the four of them – in cute poses, funny poses, and the classic prom pose. Then they did mix-and-match pair shoots. Finally, they ended with the girls each with their parents. For Carrie’s turn, she insisted on ones that also included Mike. 

30 minutes later, Flynn and Kayla waved goodbye to their moms, and Ray promised to email everyone the photos. Trevor and Mike waved out the window of their limo and headed off to their music awards. 

A second limo waited in the driveway for the girls. Flynn and Kayla were busy putting the girls’ purses and extra sneakers in the car. They also loaded snacks – just in case.

Ray pulled Carrie and Julie aside, while Flynn and Kayla were busy. 

“Mijas, would you mind taking a few more pictures? There’s a couple guys that wanted to be here,” Ray told them and pointed to the backyard. Reggie and Luke stood there – decked out in black. Luke’s suit didn’t have sleeves. _Of course._ Reggie’s was just slacks with a button-up – with the first three buttons undone. Both girls smiled.

“What are you guys doing here?” Carrie asked when they reached the guys. Luke took the moment to kiss Julie. Reggie pulled Carrie into his arms. 

“So we have these awesome girlfriends. Tonight’s their prom. Couldn’t let a little ghostly-ness make use miss that. And you look absolutely gorgeous. Wow...” Reggie trailed off. Carrie winked.

“That is what I make them say,” she teased. She was cut off by his lips on hers. Carrie pulled him closer. A voice cleared behind them, and she pulled away. 

“Take it easy with the old man here, okay? Let’s take some pictures, so I can send you to the dance,” Ray scolded them. Carrie and Reggie both blushed. She looked over to see Julie’s cheeks were pink too. They took pictures for the next ten minutes, never letting the boys’ hands go, lest they disappear from the camera. Soon they joined Flynn and Kayla in the limo – leaving Ray behind. He planned to hang out at the house to make sure they made it back safely later. Plus, Trevor’s guest room had really soft sheets. 

“Well now it’s a triple date,” Flynn declared when all got in the limo. Julie grinned at her.

“Quadruple. Willie and Alex are gonna meet us there. Formal wear and everything – as long as Wille’s shorts count,” Luke informed them. Carrie grinned.

“We’re definitely into interpretative takes on formal wear here,” Carrie giggled and winked at Kayla.

“I’m glad you guys could make it. So you can watch Flynn and I win best dressed couple." Kayla stuck her tongue out at Carrie. "And also because Julie and Carrie are happy! It’s gonna take some creativity to keep you visible all night though,” Kayla told them. Reggie pulled Carrie closer.

“Nope. I’m just going to keep my arm around Carrie’s waist all night,” Reggie said and kissed her cheek. She snuggled into his embrace.

“What about Prom Queen? Do they have that at Junior Prom?” Luke asked. All four girls turned to stare at the boy. Julie hit him on the arm.

“Luke. Why would you bring that up?” she scolded. Reggie laughed at him. 

“Yeah, Luke, read the room,” Reggie teased. Luke pouted, and Reggie laughed again. 

“Someone in this car, hopefully. And then we’ll have a sleepover fit for a Queen when we get home,” Carrie replied. Flynn grinned at her.

“You heard the woman. A queen’s sleepover to commence at midnight!” Flynn declared. The girls cheered as the limo pulled up to the school.

Carrie Wilson slow danced at prom with her boyfriend more times that should could count. She also held Alex’s hand and danced the _Electric Slide_ \- by request because he said he knew the dance. She danced to BlackPink with the Dirty Candy girls. And she finished her Junior Prom on the dance floor with the same three girls she’d started the night with – dancing and singing to _Wannabe_.

Afterwards, they did have a sleepover fit for a queen – Queen Kayla. When all the other girls were asleep, Carrie sat in the living room and told her dad all about the dance. It was, after all, what best friends did. And if Carrie had secretly campaigned for Kayla to win Prom Queen for the entire previous week, well that was between Carrie and her dad. Maybe Trevor was giddy from his AMA win or maybe he just loved his daughter, but when Ray had looked in the Wilson living room at 3 am – he might have seen a hit father-daughter Spice Girls routine. Or maybe he just saw a girl laughing at her dad’s attempt to shimmy. 

You’d have to ask Ray Molina though. And he only shared that story with Rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you by [90s Pop Legends](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDX8eTORFCo).
> 
> Also, for those who are interested, those earrings are really on the Tiffany's website. They cost $450. Obviously, Trevor gives expensive gifts. He's a Rockstar (capital R). 🎸
> 
> AND PRESENTING PROM DRESSES - or rather close inspirations for my descriptions. Imagine Carrie and Julie's dresses are a little longer!  
> 


	6. +1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carrie and Julie attend a Trevor Wilson concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE'VE REACHED THE END! I'm so sad guys. But also really happy this story is complete. Thanks for coming on this ride with me. 💖💖
> 
> This chapter features songs that I didn't write (Credit to Jeremy Renner) and a fully made-up band for Trevor Wilson.  
> Timeline Note: August 2021 - just before Senior Year
> 
> *ALSO, if you've got a scene or outtake you'd like to see in my little universe, I'm willing to give that a shot (even if it doesn’t have Carrie or Trevor in it)! Message me on Tumblr!*

Carrie watched the _Trevor Wilson End of Summer Concert_ in the audience with Julie. Her dad had offered to let them to watch backstage, but she preferred the full experience – albeit in her own little viewing area. 

“Ya know, I haven’t been to actual Trevor Wilson concert since before high school,” Julie told her, sitting down with her nachos and Coke.

“We did that special concert event last summer?” Carrie reminded her and raised her eyebrows. “And you’ve decided that a concert is basically like going to the movies?” she asked.

“Ohh, so you don’t want these SourPatch Kids?” Julie questioned, pulling the bag out of her pocket. Carrie made grabby hands at her friend, and Julie laughed. “I mean that concert was for all of us! So I can’t really say I was watching? Plus, he literally only played the Carrie songs. This is a real concert with his new hits. I’m just making sure to fully enjoy it,” she explained.

“I mean he was going all in on being the best dad. Not that I minded; The Carrie songs _are_ my favorite,” Carrie shrugged. “I get what you’re saying though. I can’t believe you haven’t been to a concert since before high school. I could have invited you to one of the other shows this summer?” she said questioningly. Julie smiled at her.

“No. This one is perfect. We had so many shows this summer, and we were practicing **all the time**. This concert is the endcap on our summer, and the start of Senior Year. I don’t know how you even found the time to go to so many. I know Dirty Candy performed as many times as we did – if not more,” Julie said. Trevor Wilson started his set with _Carrie Queen_ , and Julie grinned at her friend.

“I mean, he’s my dad, so I wanted to attend as many as I could. Plus, Reggie thought they made good dates,” Carrie giggled. “I mean, I think I still missed two-third of them. There really was only so much flying I could do! Dirty Candy did have an **EPIC** summer too. I don’t want to jinx anything – but Robin thinks a joint Dirty Candy / Julie and the Phantoms tour next summer is totally within reach. Unless you guys were thinking of using a different manager? We obviously don’t _have_ to tour together or anything,” Carrie told the other girl. Julie shook her head.

“No way. Robin is _great_ , and she always clears stuff with dad. Plus, we look way more legit to venues with Robin. Everyone knows she’s Trevor Wilson’s manager. She’s even got Flynn on the lineup to do a DJ set at a festival. I forgot which one, but Flynn was saying they were using it a preliminary test run to see if Robin was going to manage her too. So if Robin can line up a joint tour, then that’s the ideal scenario,” Julie agreed. Carrie smiled and bobbed her head along with her dad’s song until the last note. _My song really is a bop._

“How you doin’, Los Angeles?” Trevor addressed the crowd. They cheered back to him. “Can’t believe you guys never get tired of us. We’re psyched to be here again. I know you remember this hunk of a man, Mike!” Trevor winked, and Mike played a rift on his bass. 

“Thanks for the intro, babe. It’s good to see you Los Angeles!” Mike waved to the crowed.

“And of course, Mike and I would be lost without Lincoln!” Trevor turned and bowed to the drummer on stage. Lincoln stood up and waved to the crowd.

“I promise to keep them in line for you, LA.” Lincoln sat down and played a little melody on his drums. The crowd cheered wildly. Trevor turned to his keyboardist.

“Seems like Lincoln is ready for another song, Nat,” Trevor told her. He turned back out to the crowd. “Well, LA, you all know we’d can’t make any music magic without our beautiful and talented Natasha. Let’s show her some love!” he raised his arms in the air and the crowd went wild. Nat played a few notes on her keyboard, and Lincoln joined in on the beat. Trevor grinned and launched into his hit single _He’s a Fire_ – the very song he’d written about Mike and won an AMA for. Julie threw her hands in the air.

“Your dad really does have some serious bangers, huh?” Julie exclaimed, jumping up and down. Carrie sang along with the song and danced around with Julie.

_And it's more than desire  
More than a crush  
Pulls you in and you can't get enough  
Sends your mind spinning  
And melts your cool until you're  
Praying for rescue_

“I mean, his whole seventh album is basically a bop about how much he loves Mike. Plus his song for me. It’s pretty killer. I’m sure the _Sunlight Angel_ album is your favorite though,” Carrie replied. The band launched into _Main Attraction_. Carrie stole one of Julie’s nachos – which had been dropped on their little table in their dancing frenzy. Julie turned to the other girl in confusion.

“Was that his sixth album? Why would that be my favorite?” Julie asked. Carrie froze. _Julie didn’t know._

“Your dad never played it? He created the music video and did the album cover and insert. I just thought…” Carrie trailed off. Julie frowned at her. Carrie grabbed her friend’s hands. “He’s going to play a couple of them. He always does – with the video. I just thought you knew,” Carrie told her. 

“Carrie,” Julie said slowly, “knew what?” Carrie sighed.

“Your mom, JulieBean. The sixth album – _Sunlight Angel_ – the songs are all about her, except number 12. He put it out that summer after she passed away. I just thought you’d have heard it by now. Especially since your dad helped to make sure it was really perfect for her,” Carrie explained. Julie looked shocked, and her eyes welled up with tears. In her mind, Carrie registered her dad starting a new song, but she wasn’t paying enough attention to know which one.

“Oh,” she said finally. “I guess I do have it. I vaguely remember dad giving me the new Trevor Wilson album during sophomore year. But I never listened to it. I just couldn’t, you know, do music things for a long time. And then the guys crashed into my life, and they were everything. I just forgot.” Julie slumped in her seat. Carrie pulled her into a hug. 

“Do you want to go?” Carrie asked her. Julie pulled back and shook her head.

“No. I want to hear the songs about my mom. I’m glad you’re here with me, though, in case I get too sad,” Julie replied firmly. Carrie squeezed her hand.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Carrie said. The song onstage faded, and the band did not immediately launch into another one. 

“We’re going to slow things down now,” Trevor addressed the crowd. There was some clapping, but the crowd was mostly somber. After all, any real Trevor Wilson fan knew what was coming. The audience lit their cell phone “flashlights” and held them high in the air. “Rosie, this one’s for you,” Trevor said into the mic and looked up into the sky. Images slowly lit up the big screen behind him. Natasha played the opening cords on the keyboard before Trevor’s voice joined in.

_She speaks to me just like a song  
Her words are melodies I can sing along  
A symphony sings so sweet  
I can't believe her sound_

_She's my stereo love  
Stereo love  
She's my stereo love  
Stereo love_

_Life's in keep the right arrangement  
Her tempo's fine with me and she loves my phrases  
Let her conduct and cue my choir  
We're both in harmony_

_She's my stereo love  
Stereo love  
She's my stereo love  
Stereo love_

_She's like a rock n roll legend  
With a little bit of blues  
She says she's waiting on Elvis  
Hoping I can fill his shoes_

Julie was crying. Carrie put an arm around her shoulder, but she didn’t know what else to do. The big screen finished its playthrough while Trevor sang the chorus repeatedly, softer and softer. The music video ended with Carrie’s favorite scene – Rose, in her wedding dress, laughing while Trevor pelted her with rose petals. Julie took a deep breath in and out, tears still streaming down her face. Trevor used the lull to launch into _Sunlight Angel_ , which was a little more upbeat but just as touching. When he was done, the band switched gears and launched into _My Girl_. Carrie thought she felt Julie breathing normally again.

“I didn’t know,” she said, when she’d found her voice. Carrie turned fully to her, the concert just background noise now. “Are they all like that?” she asked. Carrie smiled. 

“A few are more upbeat, but there are a lot of ballads. Actually, one song was written by your mom. Ray said he could use it though – since she wrote it for my dad. I think you’d really like the album,” Carrie told her. Julie smiled and wiped her cheeks. 

“And my dad made that video?” she clarified. Carrie nodded.

“Yeah. You know how your dad is always recording stuff – big and little moments?” Carrie questioned. Julie nodded. “Well apparently he’s been doing that forever. So Dad gave him the audio recording of the song, and then Ray put together a whole bunch footage to make the music video. I’m sorry I didn’t bring it up before we got here. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that,” Carrie apologized. Julie gave her a watery smile.

“No, don’t be sorry. I have no idea how I would have reacted if you’d have told me in the car or something. But I’m glad I saw the performance live. I think Mom would have liked it,” she smiled. “I can’t wait to listen to the whole album later.”

“Do you want to go now? Or are you okay to stay?” Carrie studied her. Julie smiled bigger, and Carrie sighed in relief.

“No. I want to hear the whole concert. I love you, CareBear, but stop worrying about me,” Julie laughed. Carrie pouted.

“I can’t help it! You’re my best friend!” Carrie burst out and then froze. _But what about Dad?_ Julie saw the other girl’s panic.

“Hey, CareBear? You can have more than one best friend. You can a handful of good friends. And your dad can just be your dad. That’s all allowed. Dads are still super awesome, even if someone else if your best friend – trust me,” Julie told her. Carrie took a deep breath and hugged the other girl.

“Thanks, Julie,” she replied. Both girls leaned back in their seat with smiles on their faces. The voice of Trevor Wilson washed over them. They listened silently, enveloped in their own thoughts. 

Carrie thought of Julie performing _You’ve Got a Friend in Me_ in music class for her birthday. She thought of Kayla signing up for that extra dance class, so she didn’t have to go alone. She thought of Reggie lying on her bed and reading “Oh, the Places You'll Go!” to her, just because it was her favorite. She thought of Alex showing up to Dirty Candy rehearsal decked out in a glittery green mess claiming to be the long lost sixth member. Those seemed like things best friends did.

And some of the memories were a little sadder, but still on a best friend level. She thought of 8 year-old-Julie telling her that she could share her mom, since Carrie didn’t have one. She thought of Kayla holding her hair back as she threw up before their first Dirty Candy performance. She thought of Reggie holding her while she cried the day after her birthday, because it was also the day her mom left her. She thought of Alex staying in bed all day with her when she had the flu.

Carrie was pulled out of her thoughts by her dad addressing the crowd again. The concert was nearing its end. 

“LA, you’ve been wonderful as always! We’re going to close out the evening with our favorite cover and then send you beautiful people on your way!” Trevor yelled. The crowd cheered. Carrie and Julie joined them. The opening notes of _House of the Rising Sun_ filled the air. Carrie and Julie sang along, swaying with the music. Too soon, the song was over.

“Goodnight Los Angeles!” Trevor yelled. The band members stepped out onto the front of the stage with him, linked hands together, and bowed in sync. The lights went dark in the stage. The last concert of the summer was done. Next week, Carrie and Julie would start their senior year of high school. 

Carrie’s dad had insisted on a driver for the evening, so it was easy for the two girls to get away from the post-concert ruckus. The driver dropped Julie off first. It was past midnight before Carrie was dressed in pajamas and ready for bed. Her dad wouldn’t be home for hours since the band would celebrate their last show of the tour together. He’d be home for breakfast – Mike in tow. Carrie wasn’t alone though. Reggie always stayed the night with her when her dad was away. It made her feel safe and loved. He was already asleep when she emerged from her bathroom, and she smiled softly. 

Carrie paused and pulled her thoughts together. Her dad had lost his best friend, and he’d been really sad. He’d needed someone, and she’d been there. And when she had needed a new best friend too, he’d been there for her. For years, it was a given – Trevor Wilson was her best friend. But she had a lot of friends now – _real_ friends. Some of them were good friends – Flynn, Nick, Willie, Luke. And some of them were **best** friends – Julie, Kayla, Alex, Reggie. 

Carrie climbed into her big princess bed, snuggled closer to Reggie, and decided having best friends was a good thing. Before she fell asleep that night, Carrie Wilson came to one last conclusion. She didn’t have a mom. But she did have a dad. And that was all she needed anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is my personal headcanon that Trevor Wilson's sound is basically the same as Jeremy Renner. So I've used his songs for the concert (albeit gender changed on his song for Mike). Also, I just really love his music - so give him a listen if you've got the time!
> 
> This chapter brought to you by Jeremy Renner songs:  
> ["Stereo Love"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2s0A62UePg)  
> ["She's a Fire"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F94RahTm_Og&list=TLPQMDQxMTIwMjA1RBNXesIywg&index=2)  
> ["Main Attraction"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL2DcWB994s&list=TLPQMDQxMTIwMjA1RBNXesIywg&index=5)  
> ["House of the Rising Sun"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mkb_3UOpGOU&list=TLPQMDQxMTIwMjA1RBNXesIywg&index=3)

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments bring sunshine to my soul!
> 
> Come play with me on [tumblr](http://madamecristal.tumblr.com/)! ♥


End file.
